When I began my church planting journey, there were all sorts of questions. Where are you going to plant? What's your church going to be like? What's the strategy?
When you take everything into account, the planter comes with all sorts of idealistic vision. But it shouldn't matter what denomination we come from or what style we choose, we ought to have a clear mission.
What I've found is that we can sometimes fit the mission into the style.
This is so dangerous because it sneaks in casually. What we're actually excited about is a certain kind of ecclesiology, NOT the mission.
If making disciples is our mission, then everything we do has to echo from that. Do lights and smoke fit in or is it just what you want? Does "that kind of graphic or video" point back to the mission or are you just satisfied that you put something out with the quality of "those other churches"?
We have to get honest with ourselves. All of us. Myself included.
So what is it that breaks your heart? Is it the same thing that breaks God's heart?